Improvement in gang-plows



J. FRYE.

Wheel-Plow.

vPatented May 26, v1858.

N.FETERS, PHnTo-LITHOGRAPN'LR. wAsmNGTON. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. FRYE, OF MENDOTA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GANG-PLOWS.

Speeitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,342, dated May 25,1858; antedated March 18, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE FRYE, of Mendota, in the county ot' La Salleand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Gang-Flows, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description ot' the construction and operation oftheSame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which--Figure l represents a perspective view of said gang-plow. Fig. 2represents a perspective view ofthe same represented from the rear sideof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a top view of the plowstocks and theirconnections with the tongue, the frame-work heilig represented in redline.

The nature of my invention relates to that class of plows termedgang-plows,77 and by which a number of furrows are made and subsoiled atone operation; and it consists in the peculiar construction, hereinafterdescribed, by which the positions ofthe plow-stocks and colters are madeself-adjusting as the plow is turned.

To enable others skilled in the ait to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents two hed-pieces of the plowframe, to which the plow-stocks Lare secured. To the top of these bed-pieces are secured the front andside pieces, B, which, together with the former A, constitute the frameof the plow,

and which serve to support the bearings of the vertical shai'ts D, onwhich the wheels are placed. C represents cross-ties, and E a transversepiece forming part of the frame, and secured to the plane so as tosupport the seat and other parts ot' the machine. The*` frame issupported by and moved on the three wheels F FZ F3, the horizontal axesof which are secured or connected to the vertical shafts D, which canslide within the sleeves or bearings G, and the top parts of which bearupon the lower sides of the levers H.

I representthree metal bars, which are pivoted to the frame at a, and tothe upper parts of which the ends ofthe levers H are pivoted. The longarms of the levers H pass between the slotted standards K, and are heldtherein to any desired position by means of the pins b, which may beinserted into any of the holes c.

By operating one or all of these levers H one end or the entireplow-frame can be raised or lowered at pleasure.

L represents the plow-stocks to which the mold-boards are secured, whichare made of one single piece of shear-steel, as described in the LettersPatent heretofore granted to me. The top parts of these stocks are datand ot' the segmental form represented at M in Fig. 3. These pieces Mare pivoted at d to one of the bed-pieces A, while their circular facesrest within corresponding grooves of the arcs N, which are secured toboth of the hed-pieces A. Thus the stocks L can be turned on theirpivots d and are guided in their movements by the ares N.

-To each of the stocks L, except to the rearmost one, is securedasubsoil-coher, O. The shank it of said colter passes through asleevebox,f, formed on the plow-stock, and the colter is secured to anydesired point or height by means of the set-screw g, the end of whichreaches within a groove of the shank lt. Another arrangement foradjusting the colter consists in the sleeve t', which rests upon theboxf, and which can be secured to the shank It by tightening theset-screw g. The top plate, M, of the forward plow-stock is tted withinthe tongue-coupling J, so as to join both stiftly together and allowthem both to turn together on pivot d. The tongue-coupling P and tongueQ are secured together by a bolt, l.

R represents a curved slotted arm, which is secured to the shaft of thefront wheel, and is also secured to the tongue-coupling P by bolt lpassing through slot m, so that when the tongue is turned on the pivot dthe wheel F will turn with said tongue. 'A

S represents crank-arms, which are respectively attached to each of thewheel-shafts D. The positions ot' these arms are shown in the drawings.These arms are connected to each other by means ot the rods T. Thuswhen'the forward wheel, F', is turned in the same direction as thetongue the rear wheel,F3, is turned in the opposite direction by reasonof the reversed positions of their respective arms S, and this isnecessary to cause the rear wheel to track the forward wheels, bothforward wheels being kept parallel by means of the parallel arms S ontheir respective shafts.

U represents a rod, Fig. 3which is pivoted to the pivot d of therearmost plow-stock, and which is secured firmly to the frame by meansof brace n, Fig. l. To the end of this rod the tongue Y is linked, at W,so that the draft of the team is exerted equally upon the foremost andrearmost p1ow-stocks. Both tines of the tongue are connected to eachother by a pivoted brace, o. The top plate, M, of the rearmostplow-stock is fitted within a lever, X, in such a manner as to secureone stiftly to the other Iand so that both may be turned together on thepivot d. To this lever are pivoted, at r and s, the rods Y and Z, whichare respectively linked to two other plow'stocks atp and q. The lever Xand rods Y and Z are perforated by a number of holes, by means of whichthe lengths of their connections can be adj usted at pleasure, so thatwhen the tongue is turned by the team the forward plow-stock is turnedin the same direction with the team, it being stiffly secured tothetongue-stock P. This movement willcausethe rearmost plow-stock to beturned on its pivotd in an opposite direction to an extent which willdepend upon the respective lengths of the lever-X and rod Z, and thepoints ofthe plows are turned so that the lines ot' their landsidesshall converge toward one point.

Itis evident that the length ofthe rod Y can be adjusted so as to causethe second plow also to point toward the same center, and as the numberof plows in my machine is not limited, so far as the principle of thesame is concerned,

` it follows that any number can be connected by proportional levers androds, as at x y z, which, when properly adjusted, will cause all theplows to point to one common center upon the plow being turned by theteam. The effect of this will be that the plows can be turned with thegreatest ease without raising them from the ground, because they areturned toward the center of the circle which is described by themachine, and consequently there will be no 'greater excess of sidepressure of plows against -the earth when the plow is turned than whengoing straight. As above stated, the rearmost plow-stock is not providedwith a subsoil-colter. This is for the purpose of allowing the rearfurrow-wheel, F3, to run on the unbroken or smooth bottom of the furrowmade by the rearinost plow. At the next opera-tion of the ga'ig thewheel F will run in the solid fur- Arow in which the wheel F3 ran at thelformer through/7 and then the colter t will subsoil said furrow. urepresents the sleeve or bearing of this colter, and c is a brace, whicheX- tends from said stock, and the stock and base are hinged to theframe at zr. The stock u is hung at its lower end to a ehaimx, whichpasses over a pulley, y, and which chain is fastened to a hook on thepivot z on the tongue Q. a represents a. clevis in chain x, which may beinserted at any desired point, and by which the colter t is preventedfrom entering the soil beyond a certain depth.

When the plow is running in a straight line the colter tsubsoils thelast furrow made at a previous operation after the wheel F has passedand before the mold-board of the first plow turns said furrow; but whenthe plow iS turned the colter t is raised, so as not to be in the way ofthe mold-board otI the first plow.

This plow is arranged to be worked by three or more horses, hitchedrespectively to the tongues, one being between the tines thereof. brepresents the neck-yokes for the outside horses, and d a ring, to whichan additional team may he hitched, it' required.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The attachment of the tongues to the forward and rearward plow-stocksand the connections between the various plow-stocks, so that when theteam is turned the plow shall be turned so as to point toward a commoncenter, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. The connection ot' the forward furrowwheel with the tongue by meansofthe curved slotted arm R and bolt l, in combination with the cranksand connecting-rods between the wheel-shafts, so that when the team isturned theforward wheels shall be turned in the same direction ,and therear furrow-wheel shall be made to track the forward wheels',substantially in the manner and for the purpose set l'orth.

3. Hanging the rigid colter t to the rear of the front furrow-wheel bymeans of a chain, which, when the team is turned, will raise said colterout of the furrow, substantially in the manner and for the purpose setforth.

JESSE FRYE.

Witnesses:

O. H. GILMAN, MONT. S. ANDREss.

